BRITISH ELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 20, 24 January 1924, Page 9

BRITISH ELECTIONS

SOME SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

EIGHT WOMEN MEMBERS

THREE TO REPRESENT LABOUR.

(FROM OUR OWK CORMBPONDINT.)

LONDON, Bth December.

One of the features of the polls, announced to-day, is the increase in the number of women who have been successful. Lady Astor, Mrs.\Kintringham, and Mrs. Hilton Philipson have all retained their seats. • They will now be joined in the House by five more—the Duchess of Atholl (Unionist), Lady Terrington (Liberal), Miss Margaret Bondfield (Labour), Miss Jewson (Labour), and Miss Susan Lawrence (Labour). In the new Parliament, therefore, there will be three Unionists, two Liberals, and three Labour women M.P.'s. Twenty-five other women were nominated, and the number of vote 3 cast on their behalf was in most 'cases fairly substantial. A year ago the general impression was that men voters were generally disinclined to vote for women candidates, but the heavy polls recorded this week suggest that. that, prejudice is disappearing. '„ The Duchess of Atholl (Perth and Kinross) is a daughter of Sir James Ramsay, of Banffshire, who, though ■ aged 91, went to ' Perth to hear his daughter's speech at her; adoption meeting. She is no stranger to politics, having helped her husband, who represented the same constituency from 1910 to 1917, when he was the Marquiss of Tullebardine. It is said that the Duchess will carry a bright and witty personality into the House. Married in 1899, she lias no children. Although the Duke has one of the largest properties in the Kingdom, he told a Socialist who twitted him with his wealth that- his estate was so heavily mortgaged that he could not afford to live in Bis residence. -

■ MISS MARGARET BONDFIELD. 'Miss Margaret Bondfield (Northampton) was born at Chard, in Somerset, and began her working life as a shop assistant. The turning point in her career was the day when she became one of the staff of a London.shop, and it was in in a working girls' club in Tottenham Court road that she learned under what bad conditions most shop assistants were then living. Within the brief compass of a'few months were crowded her election as chairman of the General Council of the Trade Union Congress— which means that the congress next year will have its first woman president; her big efforts to draw together both sides in the disastrous boilermakers' strike— efforts which were largely instrumental in causing a settlement; and now her election to Parliament with a 4000-odd majority over an ex-Cabinet Minister, Mr. M^Curdy. She has a wide experience in industrial matters, and is a most effective platform speaker. Miss Susan Lawrence, who was returned for East Ham North, obtained 727 votes against the Liberal candidate's 8311,. and the 7393 y^tes o f Mr. C. W. Crook (Conservative)," who represented the constituency in the last Parliament. She has sat on the London County Council as Labour member for Poplar since 1913. She is an alderman of the Poplar Borough Council. It was in 1920 that she first sought Parliamentary honours, contesting North Camberwell in the Labour interest against Dr. Macnamara. She then obtained 4733 votes against his 6618. Last year Miss Lawrence fought East Ham North, and was beaten by Mr. C. W. Crook, with 7212 votes against her 6747. She entered public life as a Moderate member of the London School Board, and was converted to the Labour movement in 1910. Many years ago sh e fought on behalf of the charwomen employed in L.C.C. institutions, who previously had been employed by the school-keepers. ri acl them Dr°ught direct under the L.C.C. at a reasonable wage. About 10,000 women benefited by this reform. She has given years also to work among the very poor in the East End for the National Federation of Women Workers. . . .

GIRTON GRADUATE FOR LABOUR.

There is no.keener face among the new women M.P.'s than that of Miss Dorothy Jawson, the most prominent of the younger women in the Labour movement, who has been returned for Norwich: The daughter of a wealthy Norwich family, she is a graduate of Girton College, Cambridge, but has filled the post of chambermaid in a big London hotel. This was to test for herself the complaints she had heard as to the questionable conditions under which 6ome hotel staffs lived.

. Lady Terrington has emerged " victorious from a stiff three-cornered fight at Wycombe. She was the first woman candidate to conduct her canvass on horseback. Lady Terrington was married first to Mr. Sebright, who died in 1907, and in 1918 she married the Hon James Woodhouse, son of the first Lord Terrington, created that year. A professional farmer, she still finds time to shpw much practical interest in the- welfare of women and children.

NEW ZEALANDERS AND OTHERS,

MMr- \- A- Harris <of the flrm -of Messrs. Bmg, Harris, and Co,/) has again been returned as Liberal representative for South-west Bethnal Green He represented the Harborough Division from 1916 to 1918, and was returned for Bethnal Green' at the elections last year.

T JZ* ,^Bht Hon. L. S. Amery,. First Lord of the Admiralty, ,waß returned for the Sparbrook Division of Birmingham with the substantial majority of 7575 over the Liberal candidate; while for West Birmingham Mr. Austen Chamberlam polled 13,940 votes against the Labour candidate's 9983.

Sir Thomas Inskip,. whose wife was Lady Augusta Boyle (eldest daughter of the late., Lord Glasgow), is again returned as Unionist M.P. for Bristol Central, but General Sir Charles Fergusson (whose wife was formerly the Hon. Alice Boyle) failed by 2362 votes at South Ayrshire.

. Captain Reginald Berkeley, who spent his earlier life in Fiji, and was educated at Auckland, has been successful again as a Liberal member for Nottingham Central. At last elections he gained his seat with the meagre majority of V. votes. This time he has increased the margin to 1800. He has closely identified himself with tho League of Nations movement, and this is one of the principal planks of his platform. Hs has already caught the ear of the House, and is widely regarded as one o-" the coming men of the Liberal Party Sir Edward Grigg, who recently married the Hon. Jean Poynder, daughter of Lord and Lady Islington, stood as Liberal candidate • for Oldham, and was successful in- retaining his seat. Two members are returned for this division. Tha other euccasaful candidate rcpre-

sents Labour ,and he polled over 300 votes more than Sir Edward.

Mr. F. M. B. Fisher seems to have put up a useful fight as Unionist candidate for Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Central). He was defeated by the Labour candidate, Mr. C. P. Trevelyan who polled 12,447 votes to Mr. Fisher's 11,260. Mr. Trevelyan is the' eldest son of Sir G. O. Trevelyan. He is a convert to the Labour ranks. He was Liberal M.P. for a, Yorkshire Division from 1899 to 1918. He joined the Labour Party in 1918. Labour has added to its ranks two clergymen. The one is the Rev. H, Dunnico, who is returned for Consett! Mr. Dunnico was for ten years a Baptist Minister in Liverpool. He is now Secretary of the International Peace Society. The other clergyman is the Rev. Campbell Stephen, who was victorious for Camlactic ■ (Glasgow). He was educated at Glasgow University and Glasgow College of the United Free Church. He was in charge of. the United Free Church at Ardrossan and then he became teacher of science in Strathbungo Higher Grade School, under the Glasgow Education Authority Mr. A. E. Hillary, the victorious candidate for Harwich, began business life in New Zealand, and he was afterwards managing director of Carson, Ltd., chocolate manufacturers, of Glasgow Perhaps the most interesting Labour victory is the success of Mr. Frank Hodges, at Lichfield. Mr. Hodges is the secretary of the Miners' Federation, and he has taken a prominent part in the trade union movement. He was s /conspicuous figure in the miners' strike in 1921, and in the previous year he had published a book, "Nationalisation of Mines, in which he urged, as he did again during the election contest, the public ownership of a great national asset.:' Mr. Hodges went to work when fourteen years of age in a Welsh mine; obtained in 1909 a Miners' federation Scholarship at_Ruskin College, and later helped to found the Central Labour College. He has a very keen brain, and should make his mark in politics.

Major the Eon. »E. F. L. Wood, who married' a daughter of the late Lord Onslow, was returned unopposed " for Tt- j X 01921 h* beCarae Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Colonies, in* which capacity he made a tour of the West Indies In the last Parliament he was President of the Board of Edu- : cation. ' -l

rA o a y727- practicauy «» 7 — i "TWO ENEMIES OF SANE GOVERNMENT." f°ld 'ha Paisley elecW tW -f 6 ad / Iways Put befo« them that if a country was to be governed on sane and progressive lines there were two enemies-Protection, on the one side and Socialism on the ,other. They wera ~ufanj them both. They had ZnZ first Ws of their beneficent and strenuous labours during the past On arrival in London he said to the crowds at Euston Station : "The trek S&" °r- 1 One °f the "«v"* L finhh rf ad™ntu>-es in British history w finished Free trade is safe. Protection ,s dead and buried." Mr Asq^hs *?*« was know" to be vV™ would' L/f^ Werß that hV would be defeated. As things are, he to bufft T eaSr^ his actual m«J«ity, but the two Labour candidates together polled 11,662 to his 9723 "I DID MY DUTY." - "Churchill out!" The 'news went round the National Liberal Club wH* audible groans Mr. Churchill toot his defeat smilingly, but his wife, who: had been a great help during a difficult time, quite broke down., ■ To the waitClub, Mr, Churchill said: "I ckim that I have fought a fair fight in the interest of the Free Trade cause. I have done my duty, and the rest'does not depend on me. lam glad to think that Vtw 1?! 8 are galnins in the country, and that those gams mean opposition to the Protectionist cause. Whatever the consequences may be to -me, I shall never associate myself with eith • the violent movement of the Left, or the extreme reaction of the Eight." MR. CHAMBERLAIN. ' Mr Austen Chamberlain frankly admitted his surprise at the magnitude of lI* IT* ♦ • Jt. leave-s us, N he said, for the first time in our Parliamentary^ history w,th three parties, not one of which .commands a maiority in the H°use- .The problem which wil" rouse the attention of every thoughtful person « how a stable Government can be t formed. lam f rankl disappointed at' the result for although I had anticipated considerable losses, I did not anticipate a disaster of this magnitude The £d T' df? gS t T hich * -eXP ressed ately after the meeting at the Carlton Club last autumn . have been realised much sooner than I anticipated, but there is not much consolation to be AUTHOR OF.CAPITAL LEVY At the Queen's Hall-Labour's rallying centre-the success of Mr Pethick which can only be brought about through the reduction of the National Debt" Mr. Lawrence was one of the leaders of the Women's Suffrage movement THE PROPHET AND HIS PROPHECY Mr Lloyd George, in his pollin^-dav speech at Chichester, said : liberalism here will win one of the most staK victories in the country." Here indeed the Conservative majority has been lit ■ verted mto a Liberal majority of 1165 For the first time in its histoW this ancient Cathedral city has returned a Liberal M.P. The "Daily Chronicle" claims many of the Free Trade victoria to be the result of Mr. Lloyd faS vigorous tours. ' u™ree s FAMILY FORTUNES. Mr. Arthur Henderson, the well-known I*W leader, was defeated at New castle, but Ins two sons won seats-™! at^ South Cardiff, the other at Enfold ' Mr. Ramsay Macdonald won his own seat at Aberavon, but his Bon , Mr Mai colm Macdonald, failed in his first at--1 tempt. Sir Aldred Mond (one of the few Free Traders to go down was defeated'at Swansea, but his son won a seat ?n tl Isle of Ely, for Liberalism S'"^ 9 derson and myself," he said, "apnear to be in the same boat. Our S S Ll seemed to be fighting forlorn hop™' have succeeded, while we are amon f tta ha« While Mrs. Mabel Philipson retained her seat for the Berwick Division hv 1800, her husband failed at Wansbeck (where he stood as a Conservative) Two brothers —Brig.-Gen TT rvn Brown and Major D : "difton B^own^ in Berks the other in Northumberlandboth lost their seats to Liberals Sir Clifford J. Cory, Bt. won back St. Ires for the Liberals but'hia brother, l^- Corv, Bt., who sat for South Cardiff, as a Conservative, l o3 t his seat , to the Labour Party.

Mr. a Locker-Lamseon (Uuds*.&« cr ,u

tary at the Home Office) and Commander Oliver Locker-Lampson, brothers, reappear in the new Parliament, the latter unopposed. Viscount Elveden and Colonel Walter Guinness, sons of the Earl of Iveagh, again take their seats on the Conservative benches. The Rev. Campbell Stephen, Labour M.P., for Camlachie Division of Glasgow, had no difficulty in obtaining re-election, but his brother, Mr. p. Stephen, who hoped to retain his seat in North Ayrshire, was easily disposed of by the Conservative candidate.

SOME OF THE PERSONALITIES.

The election returns have been remarkable, not only for. the huge transfer of votes, but for some remarkable gains and losses m different constituencies. The following are some of the most outstanding among the personal successes and disasters to prominent individuals. Sir Reginald Hall, who has lost a safe Conservative seat at Liverpool was director of intelligence at the Admiralty durwl- war ' and was appointed Chief Whip to the Conservative Party a few months ago. It is understood that it was- largely on the advice of Sir Reginald, supported by Mr. L. S. Amery—and against the convictions of Lord Younger —that Mr. Baldwin decided to appeal to the country. LABOUR MINISTER: : Sir Montagu Barlow's defeat at Salford was not unexpected. Apart from the tariff question, which would in any event have probably lost him the' seat, he was' probably the least successful Minister in the Baldwin Government, ills record on unemployment was not inspiring and the .more recent association of his name with the inflationist theory of finance cost him the support of many business men. A LOST "INTELLECTUAL." . Mr. Lees Smith, who has lost his seat, is one of the intellectuals of the Labour movement. For many years he has been a lecturer- at the London School of Economics. o *£ Scrvmge°ir (Prohibitionist) and Mr E. D. Morel retain their seati at Dundee, but m each case there is a large reduction in the^ votes cast for them At the last election they received 32,578 and 30,292 votes respec%vk a ™nst* the, present 25 >755 and f,MS. The transfer of votes appears to have been t o] the Communist candidate Mr. Morel is best known for his speeches and writing on foreign politics —his activities in this field are said to have led to his imprisonment during the .. ' SCOTTISH SURPRISES. There were some unexpected Conservative gams in Scotland and East Anglia. The Earl of Dalkeith, for instance won a_seat for the Conservatives in Roxburgh. Kmcardineshire and West Aberdeenshire, which has been a Liberal stronghold for 70 years also fell to the Conservatives, a Liberal majority for Colonel Murray a year ago being converted into a minority of 270. The absence of Sir Donald Maclean Mr. Churchill, Sir A. Mond, Commander Hilton Young, and Mr C A. M'Curdy is a great blow to Liberal power m Parliamentary debates. But a notable Liberal victory ' resulted at Stroud (Glos.), where Captain F E buest took a seat from the Conservatives pM awt l- °DB t] me Mr" Uo?d George's Chief-Whip, and later Air Minister at the- time of his defeat in East Dorset last year.

Faces which have disappeared, for a time at least, are those of the vivacious Major Boyd-Carpenter, Sir C. Kinloch Cooke, Sir Ryland Adkins, and most i,, , c Mancnest'er men who were so well known in the Lobby, Mr. Harold Brigirs Sir Edwin Stockton (both Free Traders), Mr. Gerald Hurst, Dr. Watts (the friend of Henri Spahlinger), and Captain Thorpe (son-in-law of Sir T Norton-Griffiths).